1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device made of a plastic material for pushing tablets out of a blister pack.
2. Description of Prior Art
Blister packs are often used for dispensing tablets, since they are easily visible and allow controlled dispensation. Such blister packs consist of a deep-drawn plastic foil with respectively one raised portion, in which respectively one tablet can be positioned, which is covered by a welded-on continuous metal foil. To remove the tablets, the package must be held in a hand and the tablet must be pushed through the metal foil by pressing on the raised portion in the plastic foil, with a thumb.
The metal foil often is a printed aluminum foil, but coated aluminum foils, plasticized aluminum foils and plastic foils vapor-plated with a metal coating are also used. The force needed for removing a tablet is a function of the flexural strength of the deep-drawn, mostly transparent plastic foil and also of the toughness of the cover foil.
Because of their illness, some patients have difficulties pushing the tablets out of the blister pack. This applies in particular to patients with Parkinson's disease and those with rheumatic afflictions of the hands. Often such patients are already overtaxed by simple manipulations and have to rely on the help of third parties.
A device for the rapid removal of all tablets from a blister pack is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,649. A base plate has depressions, onto which the blister pack can be placed with the raised portions down, wherein a pivotal stamping plate perforates the cover plate above all raised portions.
Both European Patent Reference 0,547,426 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,171 show devices suitable for the individual removal of tablets from blister packs, which have a lower base plate with ribs oriented toward a bearing surface and defining a level of placement with a height greater than a thickness of the tablets to be discharged, wherein the base plate has openings corresponding to a grid of raised portions in the blister pack.
While with European Patent Reference 0,547,426 the cover plate remains closed during the removal of tablets, the same as with the invention, it is necessary with U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,171 to open it. The first-mentioned solution has a connecting link guide in the cover, in which a tappet is slidingly guided.